This short documentary opens a window into the life and legacy of Yiddish poet Ida Maze, a poet and activist who cultivated a community of Yiddish writers in Montreal. The film interweaves an interview with her son, Irving Massey, a literary scholar who has written about and translated his mother’s poetry, with archival audio recordings from an event held in honor of Maze at the Jewish Public Library of Montreal in 1956. Together, Irving’s poignant memories of his mother and the warm words of praise from Ida Maze’s colleagues offer a compelling perspective on her life, poetry, and legacy.

What happens to a literature without good editors and translators? Rivka Augenfeld, Montreal-based Yiddish activist, discusses what she calls “one of the tragedies of the [post-WWII] period for Yiddish [culture].”

As you read this, I am on my way to Israel, where I will spend several weeks documenting Yiddish in Israel through interviews with Yiddish writers, actors, scholars, and activists. Hear Bella Bryks-Klein, Tel Aviv-based Yiddish activist, describe the history and current status of Yiddish in Israel.

This weekend we will present a course on the great Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem at the Yiddish Book Center. Learn how Nora Feinstein, a student in our Steiner Summer Yiddish Program, was inspired to learn Yiddish so that she could read Sholem Aleichem’s work in the original.